Finally, some responsible behavior from the now sole- parent of a serial killer. And yes, I strongly suspect this man has killed other women that have yet to be discovered or officially announced.
Perhaps if these same parents had not propped up and protected their son after his last...um mishap with the law ( facetious reference to Natalee Holloway's murder -I do not mean this disrespectfully to Natalee or her loved ones ) the murder of Stephanie Flores might very
well not have happened.
I see this again and again with killers of this ilk: Born to middle class or upper-middle class families, their parents commonly will not only refuse to hold their "children" responsible or accountable for crimes that they commit throughout their lives, but indeed, aid and abet them in escaping culpability when invariably caught by school and/or criminal authorities.
This behavior often begins in tween/teenage years, typically starting with acts less serious than murder. Chronic lying and conniving behavior, Physical assaults on peers, girlfriends or even family members, fire-starting, vandalism/break-ins/thefts, and sometimes cruelty to animals - Any of these are clear signposts for the young sociopath in the making, who usually evolves from what is known as" conduct disorder" or " oppositional-defiant disorder" (ODD) the designation for such by the psychiatric community when a child is under the age of 17.
These formal diagnosis' will too often go formally undiagnosed, largely due to parents entrenched in a thick denial regarding the seriousness of their child's issues ( at least denial toward the outside world.) and at times parents will even be found repeatedly covering up/lying for the child/teenager/young adult.
Within the home, the issues might be openly or quietly discussed and hand wringing may abound between parents and other family members- but when it comes to the world outside the home, parents can perceive their children's negative behaviors and actions as a possible reflection on their parenting, and their families ?name" and thus, if they are forthright and honest about their child, they risk being judged .
It then becomes even more important to deny deny and deny some more and when even that becomes impossible, the excuse making and outright covering up for the problem child begins. Likely this is the point where Joran Von Der sloots father found himself on the night that Natalee Holloway disappeared. Now, what began as over indulgent father permissive who too often looked the other way,denial, and irresponsible parenting turned deadly with the then teenage Joran. We have heard many attestations that Joran was a pathological liar and no doubt he lied to his mother about the circumstances surrounding her death and his involvement with it but many of us have suspected that Joran might have shared much more with his father that fateful night with his father perhaps even being complicit after the crime in some clean up of the crime scene. This was always my feeling and when his father died of a heart attack just a few years after the crime I was not surprised as the weight and stress of knowing your own child has killed someone - well that can do great damage to the psyche and the body of a person with a conscience-ie a non sociopath and I believe he was just that-but a weak man an irresponsible parent and human being none the less.
I see this over and over again with men who wind up becoming rapists and murderers. When tracing their histories you will so often find this same brand of parental denial and even shielding of the "problem" child / teen and later, even the young adult. I find it reprehensible because I recognize that many of these murderers in the making could have been stopped dead in their tracks with proper intervention by parents and the legal system - the very first time they are caught committing an act of criminality.
I've given it a lot of thought and consideration and spoken with many parents about this, posing it as a hypothetical real life moral dilemma that they would have to face in their own lives.
I have queried my own mother at length, as to what she would see herself doing if first off I were a son, rather than a daughter, and had been accused of committing an act of criminal brutality against a vulnerable person resulting in serious harm or death--Would she stand by me no matter what I did because "I was her flesh and blood" and more importantly would she help me to escape accountability by doing things like posting bail and hiring expensive attorneys, investigators specialists and the like----?
Well first there is the issue of getting to the truth of what happened, as the Jo ran Van Der Sloot's of the world like Joshua komisarjevsky, are not likely to come clean with their parents about committing an act of terrible violence against a defenseless person. Although sometimes when caught dead to rights with witnesses or irrefutable proof , the sociopath will spin some tale of self defense or "accidental" scuffle resulting somehow always with the victim- a woman-falling and hitting her head - or--breaking her arm---or catching ans elbow in her eye.
The Point is, murderers are not made overnight - they evolve. And in that evolution various people have influence over that "problem" child turned adolescent turned young adult.
And it is obviously crucial what role parents other relatives police and judges take at the very first signs of conduct disorder or serious oppositional-defiant disorder-both disorders flashing neon lights that a child or teenager is likely to develop full blown anti-social personality disorder- ie sociopath, aka psychopath, if no intervention is taken.
And even then SOCIOPATHS are considered incurable, but some kind of intervention is appropriate especially in children and teenagers who have not yet crossed the boundary of maiming someone or taking another life. Treatment is aimed n hopes of moderating the worst symptoms -the ones that involve hurting others, breaking laws and running havoc upon other peoples lives ( ie con artistry is another classic sociopath trait)
And to clarify here: anti-social personality disorder does not mean this person is not "sociable",or social - as some people mistakenly believe, taking the dam's definition literally ie DSM diagnostic statistical manual 's for what is also referred to as a sociopath.
In fact, many of our worst sociopaths that wreak the most harm and havoc upon lives and the world at large, can be somewhat to very charming, when they wish to be, iie think ted Bondy,Charles Manson David koresh etc: Along with that charm comes a high level of manipulation and deception also part and parcel of the Sociopath M.O.
Jul 25, 2010
A Boston Defense Attorney Reviews A Deadly Case Of Domestic Violence
A quality blog and an insigtful post.
Jul 22, 2010
Soldier charged with killing wife, daughter
Yet another horrific domestic violence double murder/attempted suicide, with the murderous husband surviving, while his wife and infant daughter did not. How can one shoot an eight month old infant - much less ones own child-this boggles my mind and breaks my heart.
The scariest part of all of this is that cases of this nature seem to becoming more commonplace rather than more scarce. You would think that as education and public awareness campaigns increase, domestic and partner violence would decrease - it isnt.
Unfortunately in these kinds of famicide/ suicides, the only thing that can really stop them from happening is better protection for women who have had a history of being abused by their husbands or partners . And this means whether the law was involved or not, whether charges "stuck" or not in past incidents. As they traverse the statistically very dangerous time period during and following separation and/or divorce this is often when the enraged husband or former partner realizes he is losing or has lost- "control" of his wife and thus his children, the twisted thought occurs to him that if he can no longer control them, he will end their lives. This is seen as the final act of control.
And then often they try to kill themselves and somehow they often botch that part up of the plan-and they wind up merely injured, as was the perpetrator in this story.
While I realize that it is not monetarily feasible to give these women 24 hour police protection -although it would be wonderful-we must find better ways to intervene both socially and legally on behalf of abused women who are going through separation or divorce-as well as the dangerous months following either. I cant tell you how incensed I become reading about these same kinds of murders week after week after week.
Whether we raise the monies privately through public awareness fund raisers and charitable donations... or we solicit the money from already existing non profits that deal with the cause of domestic and partner violence, one way or another we've got to become more involved, more savvy and ultimately more responsive towards these at risk women and their children.
I am reading about far too many of these senseless murders or attempted murders that society i(e friends acquaintances neighbors relatives ) and the law should have seen coming and could thus help prevent. As conscientious and caring human beings, we must do better.
The scariest part of all of this is that cases of this nature seem to becoming more commonplace rather than more scarce. You would think that as education and public awareness campaigns increase, domestic and partner violence would decrease - it isnt.
Unfortunately in these kinds of famicide/ suicides, the only thing that can really stop them from happening is better protection for women who have had a history of being abused by their husbands or partners . And this means whether the law was involved or not, whether charges "stuck" or not in past incidents. As they traverse the statistically very dangerous time period during and following separation and/or divorce this is often when the enraged husband or former partner realizes he is losing or has lost- "control" of his wife and thus his children, the twisted thought occurs to him that if he can no longer control them, he will end their lives. This is seen as the final act of control.
And then often they try to kill themselves and somehow they often botch that part up of the plan-and they wind up merely injured, as was the perpetrator in this story.
While I realize that it is not monetarily feasible to give these women 24 hour police protection -although it would be wonderful-we must find better ways to intervene both socially and legally on behalf of abused women who are going through separation or divorce-as well as the dangerous months following either. I cant tell you how incensed I become reading about these same kinds of murders week after week after week.
Whether we raise the monies privately through public awareness fund raisers and charitable donations... or we solicit the money from already existing non profits that deal with the cause of domestic and partner violence, one way or another we've got to become more involved, more savvy and ultimately more responsive towards these at risk women and their children.
I am reading about far too many of these senseless murders or attempted murders that society i(e friends acquaintances neighbors relatives ) and the law should have seen coming and could thus help prevent. As conscientious and caring human beings, we must do better.
Jul 21, 2010
Prison Books As Incriminating Evidence In Triple Murder Case - Gothamist
Don't get me started on this...
Jul 19, 2010
Petit 5K: Almost 2,000 runners in the streets of Plainville - Running Around in Connecticut
Hurrah for The people of Plainville Cheshire and the surroundin environs-on one of the hottest most humid days of the year, 2000 men women and children showed up to participate in the third annual Petit family foundation 5K race sponsored by GE and introduced by NBC THIS YEAR FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!
No actual numbers are in yet but it appears to be that a good deal of money was raised and lots of folks are going to be helping victims of violrmt crime, as well as people sufferring ith chronic illmss and other great causes@
No actual numbers are in yet but it appears to be that a good deal of money was raised and lots of folks are going to be helping victims of violrmt crime, as well as people sufferring ith chronic illmss and other great causes@
Jul 17, 2010
Jul 14, 2010
Hearing for Steven Hayes co defendent Petit murders today
A lot of important happenings in today's hearing for Steven Hayes, co-defendant of the Petit family assaults and murders that occurred in July 2007. The hearing centered around the admissabiltiy of Hayes confession to Police following his arrest at the Petit family murder scene on Sorghum hill Drive in Cheshire.
Joshua Komisarjevsky, the other man arrested with Hayes as they fled the then burning Petit family home , (driving the Petit's family car no less) will be tried after his pal Hayes' trial has ended. Considering how time consuming Connecticut's voire dire processes alone are, Komisarjevsky's trial will wind up starting in 2012, if were lucky.
The bottom line is that Connecticut must create laws that place clear cut time parameters between when a violent crime occurs and when it is actually tried and resolved in a court of law. And although the logical assumption would be that this issue is primarily about fairness to the victims and the families of crime victims there are even more important and far reaching reasons for limiting the time between arrest and resolution of these cases.
As a survivor of a violent crime "handled" within a well known Connecticut court, I have a unique perspective on just how grievously damaging a lackadaisical judicial pace can be to the ultimate adjudication ( ie sentencing) of a violent crime case. As well the effect of these inordinately long lapses can be far more deadly than Connecticut residents could possibly imagine. (This brings me to one of my signature asides ..._)
While its easy enough to use terms like " adjudication, judicial resolution criminal case" et al
and clearly I myself do it--reflexively at times as does mainstream media and legal professionals alike, really all we're doing is antispeticizing a very unpleasant and upsetting subject--- And In doing this, unwittingly we wind up dehumanizing the victims of violent crime.
At least unwittingly in the case of well meaning writers and media members, whereas conversely the attorneys that defend violent criminals are more purposeful in thier attempts at antisepticizing what is at the core of these words and thus thier clients actions, they have an agenda-this is a different matter altogether.
In either case the fact is that what are behind these words are actually brutal and horrific acts of violence, committed against innocent human beings. Its easy to forget when reducing crime with such verbage, particularly for those who work in the courthouses everyday, what is actually at the heart and soul of those cases and all of the legal-speak that swirls around them.
Pain. Terror. Beatings, rape, suffering, torture and brutal and horrible deaths. THIS is what violent crime is about.
It is so much more than " a case."
Now where I left off.
My own violent crime case was "resolved" via a "plea bargain" -- nine and a half months after the crimes happened.-- Nn big surprise really when 97 to 98 percent of all criminal cases in Connecticut, including crimes like felony assault, aggravated rape, kidnapping and murder - are resolved by such plea bargains daily . Plainly speaking States attorneys in our Connecticut courts do not like to go to trial: they will typically pursue a trial only for the most high profile and/or heinous crimes or when the state has a strong case against a violent criminal who refuses to plead to anything "+reasonable", or anything at all, no matter how reduced the charges nor how many of his or her multiple charges are offered to be dropped completely within the proposed deal.
And when these charges are dropped within multiple charge crimes it is not because the criminal didnt commit that crime nor even because the state feels that that particular charge is iffy or wont hold up under the scrutinization of trial, no crime dropping within multople charge cases is done automatically, little to no logic behind it simply for the sake of "the deal." ie 'I'll drop this one and this one and lower these two to lesser crimes and voila youve got a plea deal and a violent crime "case" resolved, albeit leaving a criminal record that does not reflect what this criminal has actually done in his criminal past, thus his criminal file is terribly misleading and this often leads to more victims in this criminals future.
In other words when someone they've got dead to rites who wont "play ball."
In situations like these the prosecutor is pretty much forced to go to trial, and usually not happy about it; time consuming preparation for violent crime trials all take extrordinary effort, and unfortunately plea deals have become such a rote practice in our courts that if a prosecutor can get paid to do their weekly plea deal grind, why cause themselves a ton of extra work?
Unless it is a case that by trying and winning could elevate their profile and career. Also remember that many prosecutors and or thier bosses, are on specific career paths that might involve political aspirations or a vertical climb up the states attorneys ladder or often judgeships.
This complicates things even more for the victim and or thier family members, sullying up the "case" with yet another agenda, the attornys for the defense clearly have thier own agendas but the prosecutors are supposed to be the "good guys" they are in fact the sole voice for the victim within the entire judicial process.
.
This 98 percent plea bargain ratio creates more than one danger, making things even more problematic becomes the lack of trial experience that most of our Connecticut prosecutors actually have,(largely due to plea bargains and rarely trying cases) they find themselves at a distinct disadvantage when forced to compete against a well practiced trial lawyer who spends his or her life in the courtroom, often defending the most brutal murderous sociopaths-and "winning" As such is it no surprise that the majority of our state courts have become: little more than watered down revolving door plea "Deal" mills.
.As I said, the practical reasons for resolving criminal cases within a minimum time period are multi-fold and surpass simple consideration to the victim and victims family. Frst of all, time is a friend to the defense, anyone familiar with crime and the law knows this. Time tends to " heal" and part of this so called healing is merely the body and minds way of dealing with severe trauma, without completely shutting down.
So our memories soften a bit about the edges, our anger and loathing towards the criminal might even lessen a hair, if only to preserve our own sanity, for it tends to literally sap the soul to relive these violent happenings in our minds along with the accompanying shock pain and anger that is inevitable.
Moreover our memories fade, even if it is in imperceptible amounts, as does our desire to quote "get on with our lives" something that defense attorneys count on and manipulate to the utmost. By the time a felony assault, sexual assault, or kidnapping is finally "down to the wire" time wise in Connecticut an average of 11 months have passed.
Meaning; the judge presiding over the succession of "hearings" where the case is merely officially "continued" at the prosecutors formal request usually for another month or so at a time, And this for no other discernable reason than to procrastinate as the two "sides" consider the details of the case, beef up the lawyers bill with multiple court appearences, and of course clear the days court docket. And this is only when the victim survives, and the case is eventually resolved by plea bargain- meaning -again-no trial.
In murder cases such as the Petit family assaults and murders, if the case proceeds to trial, which it inevitably will, the average time lapse between the crimes and the trial itself is ridiculously long. This keeps surviving victim Bill Petit and his families in a state of chronic suspension both emotionally and physcially. Many people forget that Bill the sole survivor of the home invasion was seriously assaulted within that cluster of horrible crimes, he easily could have died of his head injury and blood loss.
There are laws protecting those who are arrested for committing violent crimes. As such it is only logical that there be parallel laws protecting the victims of these same
crimes. Instead, victim survivors of the most brutal crimes are supposed to rely on a loosely defined basically toothless bundle of so-called "Articles of victims rights" Entirely ineffectual and moot, they are not in fact laws, but rather a sort of .....guide - you might say.
Meaning, there is absolutely no viable recourse when these so called rights are infringed upon or directly violated as is so often the case in Connecticut's criminal courts.
And so you might ask as a concerned Connecticut resident and a compassionate human being - What can we do ?
Well for one thing, we can pay close attention to how our Connecticut lawmakers have voted within their terms on any and all issues related to crime and justice, particularly violent crime.
All legislative " sessions" ie (meetings) are now televised on Connecticut's local cable network And as such, as citizens we now have a real window into the machinations of our states lawmaking processes, as well as individual legislators personalities and moral and professional integrity- -taking into account of course any mugging for the cameras, but still.. .if one watches carefully, there will always be that moment when even the most polished legislator lets down his/ her guard and forgets that the session is televised and shows his or her true colors for a moment or if we're lucky- an entire diatribe.
These legislative sessions are a must see for anyone who has a TRUE interest in how laws are made in our state-and how laws are not made as the case may be. They are regularly scheduled and posted on our Ct Gov website. Make it a habit to begin viewing them-many of you will be awed by the general lack of genuine sensitivity and insight re victims of violent crime, at times shamelessly on display in our Connecticut General assembly.
So many well meaning citizens simply don't realize or forget that We CAN use the power of our
collective VOTE to help oust area lawmakers who vote against toughening laws and prosecution measures and accordingly vote for the candidate that supports tougher sentencing, tougher laws and victims rights.
We mustn't be lured by rhetoric that accompanys voting season:Connecticut legislators crime bill voting history must back them up, especially when it comes to crucial issues like whether or not to keep the state death penalty or to reform it and common sense issues such as whether the recent limited state funds should be spent on social programs for prisoners or for assisting victims of violent crime. (This year for example many victims programs were cut back at a time when high ranking judiciary committee officers are lobbying for multi-fold programs for inmates from access to more computers and free college education to elaborate re-entry programs.
Remember being dedicated to making Connecticut a safer state might mean crossing your political party's lines in the voting booth. This is something I myself, a registered democrat, have done and encouraged others to do when the need arises. Public saftey is more important than partisan politics.
Joshua Komisarjevsky, the other man arrested with Hayes as they fled the then burning Petit family home , (driving the Petit's family car no less) will be tried after his pal Hayes' trial has ended. Considering how time consuming Connecticut's voire dire processes alone are, Komisarjevsky's trial will wind up starting in 2012, if were lucky.
The bottom line is that Connecticut must create laws that place clear cut time parameters between when a violent crime occurs and when it is actually tried and resolved in a court of law. And although the logical assumption would be that this issue is primarily about fairness to the victims and the families of crime victims there are even more important and far reaching reasons for limiting the time between arrest and resolution of these cases.
As a survivor of a violent crime "handled" within a well known Connecticut court, I have a unique perspective on just how grievously damaging a lackadaisical judicial pace can be to the ultimate adjudication ( ie sentencing) of a violent crime case. As well the effect of these inordinately long lapses can be far more deadly than Connecticut residents could possibly imagine. (This brings me to one of my signature asides ..._)
While its easy enough to use terms like " adjudication, judicial resolution criminal case" et al
and clearly I myself do it--reflexively at times as does mainstream media and legal professionals alike, really all we're doing is antispeticizing a very unpleasant and upsetting subject--- And In doing this, unwittingly we wind up dehumanizing the victims of violent crime.
At least unwittingly in the case of well meaning writers and media members, whereas conversely the attorneys that defend violent criminals are more purposeful in thier attempts at antisepticizing what is at the core of these words and thus thier clients actions, they have an agenda-this is a different matter altogether.
In either case the fact is that what are behind these words are actually brutal and horrific acts of violence, committed against innocent human beings. Its easy to forget when reducing crime with such verbage, particularly for those who work in the courthouses everyday, what is actually at the heart and soul of those cases and all of the legal-speak that swirls around them.
Pain. Terror. Beatings, rape, suffering, torture and brutal and horrible deaths. THIS is what violent crime is about.
It is so much more than " a case."
Now where I left off.
My own violent crime case was "resolved" via a "plea bargain" -- nine and a half months after the crimes happened.-- Nn big surprise really when 97 to 98 percent of all criminal cases in Connecticut, including crimes like felony assault, aggravated rape, kidnapping and murder - are resolved by such plea bargains daily . Plainly speaking States attorneys in our Connecticut courts do not like to go to trial: they will typically pursue a trial only for the most high profile and/or heinous crimes or when the state has a strong case against a violent criminal who refuses to plead to anything "+reasonable", or anything at all, no matter how reduced the charges nor how many of his or her multiple charges are offered to be dropped completely within the proposed deal.
And when these charges are dropped within multiple charge crimes it is not because the criminal didnt commit that crime nor even because the state feels that that particular charge is iffy or wont hold up under the scrutinization of trial, no crime dropping within multople charge cases is done automatically, little to no logic behind it simply for the sake of "the deal." ie 'I'll drop this one and this one and lower these two to lesser crimes and voila youve got a plea deal and a violent crime "case" resolved, albeit leaving a criminal record that does not reflect what this criminal has actually done in his criminal past, thus his criminal file is terribly misleading and this often leads to more victims in this criminals future.
In other words when someone they've got dead to rites who wont "play ball."
In situations like these the prosecutor is pretty much forced to go to trial, and usually not happy about it; time consuming preparation for violent crime trials all take extrordinary effort, and unfortunately plea deals have become such a rote practice in our courts that if a prosecutor can get paid to do their weekly plea deal grind, why cause themselves a ton of extra work?
Unless it is a case that by trying and winning could elevate their profile and career. Also remember that many prosecutors and or thier bosses, are on specific career paths that might involve political aspirations or a vertical climb up the states attorneys ladder or often judgeships.
This complicates things even more for the victim and or thier family members, sullying up the "case" with yet another agenda, the attornys for the defense clearly have thier own agendas but the prosecutors are supposed to be the "good guys" they are in fact the sole voice for the victim within the entire judicial process.
.
This 98 percent plea bargain ratio creates more than one danger, making things even more problematic becomes the lack of trial experience that most of our Connecticut prosecutors actually have,(largely due to plea bargains and rarely trying cases) they find themselves at a distinct disadvantage when forced to compete against a well practiced trial lawyer who spends his or her life in the courtroom, often defending the most brutal murderous sociopaths-and "winning" As such is it no surprise that the majority of our state courts have become: little more than watered down revolving door plea "Deal" mills.
.As I said, the practical reasons for resolving criminal cases within a minimum time period are multi-fold and surpass simple consideration to the victim and victims family. Frst of all, time is a friend to the defense, anyone familiar with crime and the law knows this. Time tends to " heal" and part of this so called healing is merely the body and minds way of dealing with severe trauma, without completely shutting down.
So our memories soften a bit about the edges, our anger and loathing towards the criminal might even lessen a hair, if only to preserve our own sanity, for it tends to literally sap the soul to relive these violent happenings in our minds along with the accompanying shock pain and anger that is inevitable.
Moreover our memories fade, even if it is in imperceptible amounts, as does our desire to quote "get on with our lives" something that defense attorneys count on and manipulate to the utmost. By the time a felony assault, sexual assault, or kidnapping is finally "down to the wire" time wise in Connecticut an average of 11 months have passed.
Meaning; the judge presiding over the succession of "hearings" where the case is merely officially "continued" at the prosecutors formal request usually for another month or so at a time, And this for no other discernable reason than to procrastinate as the two "sides" consider the details of the case, beef up the lawyers bill with multiple court appearences, and of course clear the days court docket. And this is only when the victim survives, and the case is eventually resolved by plea bargain- meaning -again-no trial.
In murder cases such as the Petit family assaults and murders, if the case proceeds to trial, which it inevitably will, the average time lapse between the crimes and the trial itself is ridiculously long. This keeps surviving victim Bill Petit and his families in a state of chronic suspension both emotionally and physcially. Many people forget that Bill the sole survivor of the home invasion was seriously assaulted within that cluster of horrible crimes, he easily could have died of his head injury and blood loss.
There are laws protecting those who are arrested for committing violent crimes. As such it is only logical that there be parallel laws protecting the victims of these same
crimes. Instead, victim survivors of the most brutal crimes are supposed to rely on a loosely defined basically toothless bundle of so-called "Articles of victims rights" Entirely ineffectual and moot, they are not in fact laws, but rather a sort of .....guide - you might say.
Meaning, there is absolutely no viable recourse when these so called rights are infringed upon or directly violated as is so often the case in Connecticut's criminal courts.
And so you might ask as a concerned Connecticut resident and a compassionate human being - What can we do ?
Well for one thing, we can pay close attention to how our Connecticut lawmakers have voted within their terms on any and all issues related to crime and justice, particularly violent crime.
All legislative " sessions" ie (meetings) are now televised on Connecticut's local cable network And as such, as citizens we now have a real window into the machinations of our states lawmaking processes, as well as individual legislators personalities and moral and professional integrity- -taking into account of course any mugging for the cameras, but still.. .if one watches carefully, there will always be that moment when even the most polished legislator lets down his/ her guard and forgets that the session is televised and shows his or her true colors for a moment or if we're lucky- an entire diatribe.
These legislative sessions are a must see for anyone who has a TRUE interest in how laws are made in our state-and how laws are not made as the case may be. They are regularly scheduled and posted on our Ct Gov website. Make it a habit to begin viewing them-many of you will be awed by the general lack of genuine sensitivity and insight re victims of violent crime, at times shamelessly on display in our Connecticut General assembly.
So many well meaning citizens simply don't realize or forget that We CAN use the power of our
collective VOTE to help oust area lawmakers who vote against toughening laws and prosecution measures and accordingly vote for the candidate that supports tougher sentencing, tougher laws and victims rights.
We mustn't be lured by rhetoric that accompanys voting season:Connecticut legislators crime bill voting history must back them up, especially when it comes to crucial issues like whether or not to keep the state death penalty or to reform it and common sense issues such as whether the recent limited state funds should be spent on social programs for prisoners or for assisting victims of violent crime. (This year for example many victims programs were cut back at a time when high ranking judiciary committee officers are lobbying for multi-fold programs for inmates from access to more computers and free college education to elaborate re-entry programs.
Remember being dedicated to making Connecticut a safer state might mean crossing your political party's lines in the voting booth. This is something I myself, a registered democrat, have done and encouraged others to do when the need arises. Public saftey is more important than partisan politics.
Jul 13, 2010
Jul 10, 2010
Interesting comment on Sreven Hayes and The Petit Family Murders
The mini-essay below is an actual readers comment plucked from the Hartford Courant's article about the latest in the morally repugnant pre-trial tactics of the defense attorneys for one Steven Hayes: Hayes, you'll recall is the older of two "co-defendants" caught red handed in the kidnappings, assaults and murders of Jennifer Hawke Petit and her two daughters Hayley and Michaela - 17 and 11 years old respectively..
Let me preface this by saying that I am not easily impressed by most readers comments, particularly those found in the Courant, as they are often of the over the top zealot variety.
You know the type... "skip the trial these *%@#!**''s were caught red handed ! Torture them, and set THEM on fire in the town square" That type of thing.
As much as I can identify with the rage and frustration in some of these comments, we have a system that is designed to protect the innocently accused. And as such, we must therefore go through the necessary machinations with even the glaringly guilty, however difficult it is in light of what they're clearly responsible for - and we have to do so humanely.
So while I can understand the wish to impart and eye for an eye to men who have raped murdered and tortured women and children, outlining these desires in a public forum only serves to muddy the waters and can even discredit those working towards responsible judicial reform in this state - Reform which could prevent another set of crimes such as those that befell the unsuspecting and innocent Petit' family on July 23 2007. Only William Petit, who sustained repetitive traumatic brain injury and severe blood loss in the attacks managed to survive by breaking his hand binds and hopping up his cement cellar steps to a neighbors garage as his home went up in flames.
The reforms would include not setting loose dangerous repetitive felony offenders like Hayes and Joshua komisarjevsky out of prison or halfway houses on "early release parole" for any reason. Time limits on pre- trial "preparation periods" Shortening the huge time gap between when a violent crime is committed and when it is finally resolved often years upon years later in a court of law. This key reform would afford victims and their families the same right to a speedy trial that is guaranteed to even the most brutally violent offenders caught in the act - as it were.
Distinct and sensible limits on the amount of death penalty appeals a defendant may file as well judiciously confirmed legally sound reasons for any granted appeal ie new evidence or Just cause-- to appeal capital crime convictions. This would replace the extremely expensive file an appeal just to drag out the process and spend money system that we currently employ here in Connecticut.
.
The very first Appeals on death penalty cases believe it or not are currently automatic here and then limitless in the number of times an inmate can re-appeal
And these appeals are a big factor in why no murderer actually receives the death penalty in Connecticut. This sentence itself is extremely rare proving that we are a moderate discerning and careful people It is rarely pursued by the state to begin with and handed down by a jury or judge in the very worst of the worst aggravated murder cases where evidence is overwhelming and various other crime criteria exists.
Last year the Connecticut Judiciary committee clandestinely lobbied and then voted on a bill to abolish the death penalty, initially citing the large amount of money that it would save the state.
Read this to see why this is nit the case
Amidst much protestation by the actual citizens of the state ( A timely Qunnipiac poll proved that 68 percent of the state are want to keep the death penalty) the Death Penalty abolishment bill actually passed muster albeit by the slimmest of margins, in the house and the Senate. The latter had a much closer vote margin.
Thankfully, as she had assured the people of Connecticut Governor Rell exercised a rare veto on the Bill.The governor, a minority Republican has announced that she will not seek reelection in the coming term- this leaves us with a quandary that may cost many innocent lives. The divisiveness over the death penalty abolishment was not strictly partisan-- some thoughtful and independent thinking democratic legislators did vote against the bill, but the judiciary and the house spearheaded by Mike lawlor and co. did their best to sell the bill to every democratic assemblyman as " the inevitable " citing that if Connecticut wanted to join their progressive new England counterparts we better follow suit and abolish. Ugh.
Clearly, I could go on and on. The Comment is in bold italics below.
This Is Steven Hayes' Definition Of Inhumane?
For a guy who was supposedly being mistreated in prison, the slightly thinner, newly bearded Steven Hayes didn't look as bad as one might expect.
Granted, it's been about a month since his lawyers claimed one of the two men accused in the brutal 2007 Cheshire killings was being treated inhumanely after his recent suicide attempt. And everyone agreed that conditions have since improved, so jury selection is tentatively back on for March 15.
But after hearing the details of his care in a prison infirmary, all I kept thinking was:
What kind of Ritz accommodations was the defense expecting ?
Twenty-four-hour lighting could make it hard to sleep — but the guy hoarded pills and tried to commit suicide, so you can't blame the Department of Correction for wanting to see what the guy's up to. What would his defense team say if they weren't watching and the next time he tried he was successful?
And sure, rationed and supervised toiletries can take a real toll on a person's appearance — but, again, they can't responsibly leave sharp objects around him. It's not like they're not letting the guy brush his teeth.
In fact, I was really hard-pressed to see how any of the precautions the DOC was taking to prevent Hayes from harming himself qualified as inhumane. The guy's cell at MacDougall Correctional, many joked outside the courtroom, is bigger than most offices and cubicles. He's got a prison counselor assigned to him and a psychiatrist who could probably do him a lot more good if Hayes' defense team wasn't advising him not to talk to her, as Dr. Suzanne Ducate testified Tuesday.
And apparently her services aren't the only thing Hayes has declined. He's also declined exercise and, at times, showers and electric clippers, as evidenced by the scraggly beard he was sporting at the hearing.
Look, I understand the importance of due process. And as hard as it might be to swallow, we shouldn't torture prisoners — no matter how brutally and senselessly they've tortured their victims.
But what gets me is how twisted into knots the system gets to ensure that a prisoner such as Hayes isn't being mistreated, while endlessly torturing an innocent family with justice delayed.
Those lights, which have since been dimmed, kept coming up during the two-hour hearing that at times was somewhere between absurd and vulgar. Between those lights and the 15-minute checks by DOC staff, his lawyers claim, it's nearly impossible for Hayes to get any sleep.
But before these proceedings are delayed any longer, perhaps everyone should remember that Hayes isn't the only one with that problem.
Outside, Dr. William Petit Jr. reminded reporters how very little rest he and his family have had since his wife and two young daughters were brutally killed.
It really is about the delivery of justice for two cold blooded coward killers who stole the lives, raped, and abused an entire family. They had ample opportunity to stop and leave. But they didn't choose to do that, they had to take it to the ultimate end.
I don't care in the least about what kind of childhoods the cowards endured, that led to the execution of a good and loving family. Another words - don't tell me about the extenuating circumstances! Or the light in his eyes while he tries to sleep, or being in a safety smock - we want to keep you alive coward. We want to see justice done - not on your terms, on ours. And because you tried to exercise your cowardly rights via suicide, you now must be protected from yourself - thus the lights on and the physical restraints.
I truly wish that we could perform a memory transplant of the horrors they committed, from Dr. Petit, let's download it to the cowards' brain, if we could do that, I might settle for 'Life Without Parole'. But since that technology is currently unavailable, only the ULTIMATE sentence will allow Dr. Petit to possibly have some peace, at last.
Not a perfect solution, but better than knowing the cowards are working out in an exercise yard on a daily basis. Having 3 meals a day, and sleeping well...
www.courant.com/topic/hc-ubin...3680529.column/
Let me preface this by saying that I am not easily impressed by most readers comments, particularly those found in the Courant, as they are often of the over the top zealot variety.
You know the type... "skip the trial these *%@#!**''s were caught red handed ! Torture them, and set THEM on fire in the town square" That type of thing.
As much as I can identify with the rage and frustration in some of these comments, we have a system that is designed to protect the innocently accused. And as such, we must therefore go through the necessary machinations with even the glaringly guilty, however difficult it is in light of what they're clearly responsible for - and we have to do so humanely.
So while I can understand the wish to impart and eye for an eye to men who have raped murdered and tortured women and children, outlining these desires in a public forum only serves to muddy the waters and can even discredit those working towards responsible judicial reform in this state - Reform which could prevent another set of crimes such as those that befell the unsuspecting and innocent Petit' family on July 23 2007. Only William Petit, who sustained repetitive traumatic brain injury and severe blood loss in the attacks managed to survive by breaking his hand binds and hopping up his cement cellar steps to a neighbors garage as his home went up in flames.
The reforms would include not setting loose dangerous repetitive felony offenders like Hayes and Joshua komisarjevsky out of prison or halfway houses on "early release parole" for any reason. Time limits on pre- trial "preparation periods" Shortening the huge time gap between when a violent crime is committed and when it is finally resolved often years upon years later in a court of law. This key reform would afford victims and their families the same right to a speedy trial that is guaranteed to even the most brutally violent offenders caught in the act - as it were.
Distinct and sensible limits on the amount of death penalty appeals a defendant may file as well judiciously confirmed legally sound reasons for any granted appeal ie new evidence or Just cause-- to appeal capital crime convictions. This would replace the extremely expensive file an appeal just to drag out the process and spend money system that we currently employ here in Connecticut.
.
The very first Appeals on death penalty cases believe it or not are currently automatic here and then limitless in the number of times an inmate can re-appeal
And these appeals are a big factor in why no murderer actually receives the death penalty in Connecticut. This sentence itself is extremely rare proving that we are a moderate discerning and careful people It is rarely pursued by the state to begin with and handed down by a jury or judge in the very worst of the worst aggravated murder cases where evidence is overwhelming and various other crime criteria exists.
Last year the Connecticut Judiciary committee clandestinely lobbied and then voted on a bill to abolish the death penalty, initially citing the large amount of money that it would save the state.
Read this to see why this is nit the case
Amidst much protestation by the actual citizens of the state ( A timely Qunnipiac poll proved that 68 percent of the state are want to keep the death penalty) the Death Penalty abolishment bill actually passed muster albeit by the slimmest of margins, in the house and the Senate. The latter had a much closer vote margin.
Thankfully, as she had assured the people of Connecticut Governor Rell exercised a rare veto on the Bill.The governor, a minority Republican has announced that she will not seek reelection in the coming term- this leaves us with a quandary that may cost many innocent lives. The divisiveness over the death penalty abolishment was not strictly partisan-- some thoughtful and independent thinking democratic legislators did vote against the bill, but the judiciary and the house spearheaded by Mike lawlor and co. did their best to sell the bill to every democratic assemblyman as " the inevitable " citing that if Connecticut wanted to join their progressive new England counterparts we better follow suit and abolish. Ugh.
Clearly, I could go on and on. The Comment is in bold italics below.
This Is Steven Hayes' Definition Of Inhumane?
For a guy who was supposedly being mistreated in prison, the slightly thinner, newly bearded Steven Hayes didn't look as bad as one might expect.
Granted, it's been about a month since his lawyers claimed one of the two men accused in the brutal 2007 Cheshire killings was being treated inhumanely after his recent suicide attempt. And everyone agreed that conditions have since improved, so jury selection is tentatively back on for March 15.
But after hearing the details of his care in a prison infirmary, all I kept thinking was:
What kind of Ritz accommodations was the defense expecting ?
Twenty-four-hour lighting could make it hard to sleep — but the guy hoarded pills and tried to commit suicide, so you can't blame the Department of Correction for wanting to see what the guy's up to. What would his defense team say if they weren't watching and the next time he tried he was successful?
And sure, rationed and supervised toiletries can take a real toll on a person's appearance — but, again, they can't responsibly leave sharp objects around him. It's not like they're not letting the guy brush his teeth.
In fact, I was really hard-pressed to see how any of the precautions the DOC was taking to prevent Hayes from harming himself qualified as inhumane. The guy's cell at MacDougall Correctional, many joked outside the courtroom, is bigger than most offices and cubicles. He's got a prison counselor assigned to him and a psychiatrist who could probably do him a lot more good if Hayes' defense team wasn't advising him not to talk to her, as Dr. Suzanne Ducate testified Tuesday.
And apparently her services aren't the only thing Hayes has declined. He's also declined exercise and, at times, showers and electric clippers, as evidenced by the scraggly beard he was sporting at the hearing.
Look, I understand the importance of due process. And as hard as it might be to swallow, we shouldn't torture prisoners — no matter how brutally and senselessly they've tortured their victims.
But what gets me is how twisted into knots the system gets to ensure that a prisoner such as Hayes isn't being mistreated, while endlessly torturing an innocent family with justice delayed.
Those lights, which have since been dimmed, kept coming up during the two-hour hearing that at times was somewhere between absurd and vulgar. Between those lights and the 15-minute checks by DOC staff, his lawyers claim, it's nearly impossible for Hayes to get any sleep.
But before these proceedings are delayed any longer, perhaps everyone should remember that Hayes isn't the only one with that problem.
Outside, Dr. William Petit Jr. reminded reporters how very little rest he and his family have had since his wife and two young daughters were brutally killed.
It really is about the delivery of justice for two cold blooded coward killers who stole the lives, raped, and abused an entire family. They had ample opportunity to stop and leave. But they didn't choose to do that, they had to take it to the ultimate end.
I don't care in the least about what kind of childhoods the cowards endured, that led to the execution of a good and loving family. Another words - don't tell me about the extenuating circumstances! Or the light in his eyes while he tries to sleep, or being in a safety smock - we want to keep you alive coward. We want to see justice done - not on your terms, on ours. And because you tried to exercise your cowardly rights via suicide, you now must be protected from yourself - thus the lights on and the physical restraints.
I truly wish that we could perform a memory transplant of the horrors they committed, from Dr. Petit, let's download it to the cowards' brain, if we could do that, I might settle for 'Life Without Parole'. But since that technology is currently unavailable, only the ULTIMATE sentence will allow Dr. Petit to possibly have some peace, at last.
Not a perfect solution, but better than knowing the cowards are working out in an exercise yard on a daily basis. Having 3 meals a day, and sleeping well...
www.courant.com/topic/hc-ubin...3680529.column/
Jul 8, 2010
Third Annual GE 5K Roadrace presented by NBC!
Only 18 days until the 3rd Annual GE 5k Roadrace presented by NBC, visit www.petitroadrace.com/ to register to run or walk, ages 7-18 at GE Woodford Ave Plainville Ct!
Jul 5, 2010
Vandersloot vows to "paralyze the process" re his Florez murder
This guy sure picked the right country to kill someone in - it turns out that there is no death penalty, nor even the possibility of a life sentence with no chance for parole for the crime of murder in Peru! What the heck is this about- don't they value human life?!
And for that matter what crimes do carry the possibility of life with no parole, if murder doesnt? What do you bet its reserved for crimes related to stealing ie the ever important MONEY, or betraying the GOVERNMENT, like robbing a bank or espionage. This certainly doesnt bode well for the government of Peru - we cannot blame the people however, any more than we would want to be blamed for our countries judicial system's flaws. Our justice system is bad enough, hijacked as it is by morally bankrupt defense attoenys, rationalizing all under the umbrella of the by now totally prostituted "every defendent has the right to a fair trial ".
And for that matter what crimes do carry the possibility of life with no parole, if murder doesnt? What do you bet its reserved for crimes related to stealing ie the ever important MONEY, or betraying the GOVERNMENT, like robbing a bank or espionage. This certainly doesnt bode well for the government of Peru - we cannot blame the people however, any more than we would want to be blamed for our countries judicial system's flaws. Our justice system is bad enough, hijacked as it is by morally bankrupt defense attoenys, rationalizing all under the umbrella of the by now totally prostituted "every defendent has the right to a fair trial ".
Triple murder courtroom to stay open: Hayes statements will not be sealed- The Register Citizen News - Northwest Connecticut's Daily Newspaper
Good. This issue regarding Hayes's statement is a big plus for the prosecution
Jul 2, 2010
Say NO UNITE AGAINST VIOLENCE ON WOMEN
Dear Friends,
Say NO - UNITE, a global web initiative of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is highlighting the daily violence faced by women in conflict zones this month. You often write on issues related to women’s lives, and have written about Say NO in the past. The issue of sexual violence impacts thousands of women across the world.
WHY: Women hardly ever fight the world's wars, but often suffer the most from it. Every day women and young girls are targets of sexual violence: in IDP camps, when they go to school; on the streets outside their own homes; and even when they step out to get water or firewood for daily survival. But they have little say when peace is negotiated! Less than 10 percent of people who negotiate peace deals are women.
YOU can help change this. Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign is highlighting the urgent need to make WOMEN COUNT FOR PEACE. You and your readers can help by signing the Petition and sharing this information through your blog, on Facebook and Twitter. See some sample messages that you can post!
Click below for news, photos and updates. If you use any of the photo materials, please credit them to the Photographer or UNIFEM.
·
www.saynotoviolence.org/say-no-around-world/news
Hear the voices of women affected by conflict
· See women peace activists at work
Please let me know if you would like more information about this initiative.
Sincerely,
Urjasi Rudra
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Urjasi Rudra
Coordinator, Say NO - UNiTE to End Violence against Women
UNIFEM, New York
304 E 45 Street, NY
Email: urjasi.rudra@unifem.org
Say NO - UNITE, a global web initiative of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is highlighting the daily violence faced by women in conflict zones this month. You often write on issues related to women’s lives, and have written about Say NO in the past. The issue of sexual violence impacts thousands of women across the world.
WHY: Women hardly ever fight the world's wars, but often suffer the most from it. Every day women and young girls are targets of sexual violence: in IDP camps, when they go to school; on the streets outside their own homes; and even when they step out to get water or firewood for daily survival. But they have little say when peace is negotiated! Less than 10 percent of people who negotiate peace deals are women.
YOU can help change this. Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign is highlighting the urgent need to make WOMEN COUNT FOR PEACE. You and your readers can help by signing the Petition and sharing this information through your blog, on Facebook and Twitter. See some sample messages that you can post!
Click below for news, photos and updates. If you use any of the photo materials, please credit them to the Photographer or UNIFEM.
·
www.saynotoviolence.org/say-no-around-world/news
Hear the voices of women affected by conflict
· See women peace activists at work
Please let me know if you would like more information about this initiative.
Sincerely,
Urjasi Rudra
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Urjasi Rudra
Coordinator, Say NO - UNiTE to End Violence against Women
UNIFEM, New York
304 E 45 Street, NY
Email: urjasi.rudra@unifem.org
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